The Good Doctor's Tales Folio Eight by Randall Farmer Read Free Book Online Page A

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    The fallout from the letter made Tonya worry that Rizzari’s bid to unseat her might succeed.  Even after her response letter, she felt old, corrupt, and vulnerable.  For years, Tonya had made her reputation as the young, forward-looking inventive rationalist Focus on the Council.  For too many years.  Her shine long gone, and with her refusal to stoop to the blackmail and terror tactics of the ruling First Focuses, she had little to fall back on.
    She stood, turned on the room’s light, and got back to business.  First up was another follow-up letter from the FBI, attempting to clarify some issues from the Arm Flap.  Several of the FBI agents suspected she knew quite a bit more about Hancock’s rescue than she was telling.  They had questioned her unmercifully about it, the day after the rescue, one of the more stressful encounters she had ever lied her way through.  Only her political pull and the FBI’s embarrassment over the whole mess had kept them from throwing her into prison, indefinitely, as a ‘material witness’.  Unsatisfied, they kept pushing, poking and prodding, attempting to get her to slip up.
    She finished her response to the FBI, and picked up the next bit of paperwork.  This turned out to be Jill Bentlow’s report on the drop-off in the number of Network members.  Jill suspected nearly half of their non-Transform contacts were contacts no longer.  Her commentary in the report was blunter than usual: “Anyone worth knowing has decided that if the Focuses could turn on a Major Transform Network member in such a horrible manner, they could turn on anyone.  We’ve made a grave mistake by allowing our standard practices” the Council’s penchant for treachery and strong-arm tactics against the Focus community “to see the light of day.  Until such time as we mend our ways, the Network will not be able to recover.”  Analyzing the report, Tonya realized Jill had, somehow, added the Network head, Focus Michelle Claunch, to her supporters.  Which also meant Jill’s primary backer, Focus Teas, must be at least tacitly allied with Claunch now.  Had Faith Corrigan, another south region first Focus, a long-time ally of Teas and enemy of Claunch, decided to ally with Claunch, or had she been cut out?  Her resignation from the Mentoring program hinted at the latter.
    No wonder Jill looked readier for a fight than normal.  Things down south would be getting ugly…and this did give Tonya a possible l ever for ditching the Mentoring program.
     
    Tonya cornered Polly in the back bedroom a half hour later, after deciding what sort of strategy to use.
    “This is stupid, Polly ,” Tonya said. “I’m the wrong person for the Mentoring program.”
    “It will work out. Trust me. And thank you for not causing a stink.”  Tonya could have refused the position, but her refusal would have cost her the Council seat and the rest of her already shaky political standing.  She still was tempted to resign her Council position.
    “Tell me how this isn’t going to cause both of us big problem s,” Tonya said.  “The Mentoring program has always been a South Region perk.  By transferring the program to me, you’re transferring it to the East Region.”  Polly’s region as well as Tonya’s.  “And inviting retaliation.”
    “Well, yes,” Polly said.  “So?”  The glare from her former friend was hot enough to ignite the bedroom’s partly peeling wallpaper.
    “The new alliance between Claunch, Teas and Bentlow is going to give them enough juice to work in our backyard.  With their bloody-handed tactics.”  Such as kidnapping household Transforms, and threatening to let them go Psycho or Monster unless their Focus caved.
    “So, you’ve been doing your homework,” Polly said.  Implying ‘for once’, and confirming Tonya’s suppositions.  “Their alliance isn’t quite what you think, and although neither of us can say anything in public about it, it favors